Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney

SUMMARY
Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys perform difficult professional work in the rendering of legal services to the County by prosecuting a variety of criminal cases. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys prosecute misdemeanors and felonies in General District Court, Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court and Circuit Court. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorneys are expected to prepare and prosecute complex cases with some supervision and must oversee and supervise legal interns. Employees in this class work under the supervision of the Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney and the Commonwealth’s Attorney as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Prepares cases for prosecution, presenting the Commonwealth’s case through the questioning of witnesses and the introduction of relevant exhibits; argues motions, objections, and sentences related to assigned cases; conducts bench and jury trials, bond hearings, motions hearings, and other hearings, as needed.
• Advises law enforcement officers regarding investigations and charging decisions in cases or areas to which they have been assigned, to include direction of follow-up investigation as needed
• Acts on an on-call basis for law enforcement, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to answer questions and respond to crime scenes as needed
• Reviews body-worn and dash camera footage for assigned cases as needed or assigned
• Works on special projects as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS
Education: Graduation from a law school of recognized standing with a J.D. degree and eligibility to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia by membership in the Virginia State Bar.

Licensing: Passing of Virginia Bar Examination or waiver into the Virginia State Bar is necessary prior to commencement of employment. Possession of a Virginia driver’s license is also required.

ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Working knowledge of the law of evidence and criminal procedure, common law, state, and federal law, and court decisions concerning the prosecution of criminal offenders; knowledge of the principles and techniques of preparing for and prosecuting cases; skill in conducting legal research; ability to prepare cases for prosecution with minimal assistance; ability to present cases through the questioning of witnesses and introduction of relevant evidence; ability to argue motions, objections, and sentences; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with judges, attorneys, law enforcement officials, witnesses, court personnel, and members of the general public.

Language and Reasoning Abilities: Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex legal documents; ability to express complex ideas orally and in writing; ability to speak extemporaneously and persuasively; ability to apply principles of logical thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.

Please apply by completing the Personal Information section at the bottom of this job ad and attaching a resume and cover letter.

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